Timing mechanism for projectiles



TIMING MECHANISM FOR PROJECTILES 'Filed Ma 24, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .28 JWKCTIQ/I Anclr e Var-Qua! AfZarney arch 3, 1936. 4 VARAUD 2,@32,6@

TIMING MECHANISM FOR PROJECTILES Filed May 24, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 3, 1936 PATENT OFFICE TIMING MEGHANI SMFOR PROJECTILES Andr Varaud, Geneva, Switzerland Application May 24, 1933, Serial No. 672,702 In Switzerland June 5, 1932 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for timing clockwork mechanical fuses of projectiles.

The invention has for its object to provide a mechanism which can engage the time-setting device of the fuse in any angular position without depending upon the presence of angularly spaced serrations or grooves on said device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism, the action of which will not be affected by incorrect centering of the-timing device on the fuse.

A further object of the invention is to p'rovide a mechanism of the kind in question in which the clamping of the projectile and the engaging of the'mechanism with the time setting device of the fuse can be effected by the movement of a single member.

' .With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in providing in a mechanism of the kind in question a projectile holder, means for clamping the projectile in the holder, a coupling member capable of entering into driving engagement with the timing device of the fuse in any angular position thereof, said member preferably carrying means for incising said device, and means for simultaneously operating the clamping means to lock the projectile in the holder and for moving the coupling member 'into engagement with the timing device of the fuse. The coupling member is rotated by a driving means capable of imparting a predetermined "setting and preferably this driving meansis connected to the coupling through a connection permitting limited axial misalignment between the said parts.

"I'he annexed drawings illustrate the invention:

Fig. 1 shows in perspective the coupling members gripping the end of a projectile.

' Fig. 2 is a corresponding detail view.

Figs. 3 and 4 show plan views of modified forms of the end of the projectile.

Fig. 5 is a section of the complete device.

' Fig. '6 illustrates a modification in plan and partly in section, and

Fig. '7 is a detail of construction in perspective. :-';;'Ihe coupling members illustrated in Fig. 1 are composed of four milling wheels I, three of which 'are' shown, part 'of the device being shown cut away'so as to show more particularly the position occupied by two of them. These milling wheels "are stituated in two planes perpendicular to each other and in grooves arranged parallel with these planes in a tubular member 2 intended to hold the saidmilling wheels in position by means of their pivots 3.

The tubular member 2 can rotate on its axis at the requisite speed of rotation which can be transmitted to it by any suitable means-for instance through the driving members of a timing apparatus.

The projectile to be timed, a portion of which is represented at 4, terminates in a cylindrical portion 5 rotatable on its axis and the rotation of whichproduces the winding of the clock-work of the fuse, that is to say eiTects the timing of the projectile.

, As shown in Fig. 2 which represents the cylindrical part 5 of .the projectile seen from the end 15 and the positions occupied by the four milling wheels lround this part, the respective distance between the edges of two oppositemilling wheels is less than the diameter of the cylindrical part 5, so that by forcing this cylindrical part of the "20 projectile into the coupling member so as to bring it into the position illustrated in Fig. 1, the four milling wheels are obliged to slightly incise this part 5, thus making four grooves therein.

It is easy to ascertain that any rotatory move-.- "25 'ment of the coupling member will have the effect of rotating the cylindrical part 5. The coupling is perfectly rigid from the standpoint of rotation, whereas axially the projectile can be introduced and withdrawn without much strain of the mem- 30 her 2 of the coupling device.

In order to decrease said strain whilst yet obtaining, a still better coupling, it is preferable to construct the cylindrical portion. 5 of the projectile according to one of the forms of construc- 535 tion in Figs. 3 or4. The form of construction of Fig. 3 shows a cylindrical part 6 provided with circular grooves facilitating. the penetration of the cutting edges of the milling wheels. In Fig. 4 the circular grooves are replacedby screw-cutting 4o 1 which is easier to work.

Fig. 5 shows a part .of the timing .apparatus the driving members of which (not shown) would be on the left of this figure, these members being connected to a shaft 8 mountedin ball bearings 45 said shaft carrying at its end adjacent the projectile I3 grooves 9 along which can slide a coupling member [0 similar to the member .2 of Fig. 1 and carrying milling wheels I I intended to co-operate with the end I2 of the projectile l3 here shown 50 in broken lines. The member II] can therefore move axially on the shaft 8 while still being obliged to rotate with it, this movement enabling the milling wheels to be forced on to the timing member of the projectile. 55

Fig. 5 also shows the means intended to immobilize the projectile whilst it is coupled with the timing apparatus these means consisting in an eccentric l4 bearing on the body of the projectile so as to press it into the socket |5 of the timing apparatus.

The simultaneous action of the eccentric l4 and coupling member It] can be obtained in various ways by means of levers, cables, etc. connecting these two members together. One of these means is shown in Fig. 5 and consists in a lever |6 intended to impart a rotatory movement to the eccentric l4, said lever being connected through a connecting rod to a lever I8 pivotable at H! round a pivot of the coupling member In, the end 20 of this double lever, to which is coupled the connecting rod being slidable in a slide 2|, whereas its other end 22 serves to actuate the whole. It is to be noted that the pivot IQ of the coupling member acts on the latter through a circular groove 23, in the way in which a clutch is operated for instance, that is to say, by means allowing of producing an axial displacement of the member In without preventing it from rotating on itself.

If, after having introduced a projectile into the timing apparatus, one acts on the end 22 of the lever |8 in the direction of the arrow 24, that is to say so as to rotate it anti-clockwise on the drawings, this movement will produce the application of the milling wheels against the end of the fuse of the projectile Where they will be momentarily arrested, the lever then pivoting round the member It! thus immobilized, which produces on the connecting rod I! the traction required for the locking of the projectile by the eccentric l4. At the same time as the eccentric |4 more and more firmly wedges the projectile, the resistance which it offers to the displacement of the connecting rod |1 increases and, then pivoting round 20, the lever I8 simultaneously produces the insertion of the cutting parts of the milling wheels into the end of the fuse intended to be coupled with the shaft 8.

Fig. 5 shows the various members in the final locked and coupled position, the movement needed for this can be effected for instance by hand by means of a handle arranged at the end 22 of the lever l8.

In the example shown, this hand actuation is replaced by a quicker and simpler automatic driving, which consists in the arrangement of a plunger 25 which a coil 26 can attract under the influence of an electric current and against the action of a spring 21, a portion of which is shown and the end of which not shown would be attached to a fixed point of the framework of the timing apparatus.

The current for the coil is conveyed through a wire 28 which passes through the coil, in order to pass out again therefrom through a Wire 29 and close the circuit to earth through the framework of the timing apparatus, to which the conductor 29 will be connected through the intermediary of the body of the projectile.

As can be understood, this arrangement causes the coil to abandon the plunger core 25 to the action of the spring 2'! as long as no projectile is introduced into the apparatus. On the other hand, as soon as a projectile is introduced therein, the plungr core is attracted by the current established by the contact of the body of the projectile with the conductor 29 and the locking and coupling operation is instantaneously accomplished. The projectile will remain locked and coupled as long as the electric circuit of the coil 26 is closed, a switch should be provided enabling the projectile when once timed to be unlocked and uncoupled, which switch may for instance be so arranged on the timing apparatus as to open automatically when the timing is terminated.

One great advantage of the device described is that the projectile can be introduced into the timing apparatus without needing to occupy in relation to said apparatus such a position that its fuse and the coupling members must be face to face like a turnscrew and the screw on which it is destined to act. The projectile is immediately locked, gripped by the coupling member and ready to be timed in an extremely short time in comparison with the devices necessitating an adjustment of the projectile and of the timing apparatus.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and '7 the end 3|] of the projectile to be timed, provided with a screw-cut part 3| intended to co-operate with the driving device, is shown in the position in which one can proceed with the timing.

In this position the screw-cut part 3| of the projectile penetrates between four milling wheels 32 diametrically opposite in pairs in the head 33 of the device, this head being destined to be driven with a view to the timing of the shaft 34 itself connected to the mechanism of any timing machine.

Between the head 33 and the shaft 34 are two members, an intermediate member 35 and a socket 36, the intermediate member 35 being illustrated in perspective in Fig. '7, from which it appears that this member has two ribs or dovetail guides 31 and 38, also shown in Fig. 1. The head 33 has an incision corresponding to the rib 31 and the socket 36 has an incision correspond.- ing to the rib 38, the latter incision being designated 39 in the drawings.

Consequently the head 33 and the socket 36 form one rigid whole in the axial direction and by means of the groove 40 of the socket 36, one can displace it on the shaft 34 so as, when once the projectile is presented to the milling wheels 32, to engage these latter above its screw-cut part 3| or, on the contrary, to release the projectile when once the timing is ended.

Through the play of the two ribs 31 and 38 of the member 35 and of the two corresponding grooves of the head 33 and socket 36, the two latter are enabled to move, one in relation to the other in planes perpendicular to their axis of rotation in no matter what direction in relation to the orthogonal system of axes formed by the ribs 31 and 38. If then, at the moment that the milling wheels 32 are caused to engage on the screw-cutting 3| of the projectile 30, said screw- .cutting is not exactly in the axis of the head 33, the latter will move so as to allow the engagement of the milling wheels on the screw-cutting. It is of course understood that this refers only to movements of extremely little amplitude.

When the timing is finished, the head of the projectile is released and it is necessary that the head 33, eventually displaced by the previous timing operation, should resume its position coaxial with the socket 36 and shaft 34. For this purpose the head 33 and socket 36 include cylindrical parts 4| and 42 of the same diameter as the intermediate member 35 and forming with the latter an even cylinder when these three members are exactly centred. This cylinderis surrounded by a spiral spring 43, the purpose of which is to bring these parts back into axial relation, when owing to a slight displacement of the above parts the said spring has been distorted.

It is clear that this spiral spring can be replaced by other elastic members, in particular by springs placed according to the generating lines of the cylinder formed by the parts 4|, 42 and the member 35, which springs can be riveted for example at one point to the member 35, to the head 33, or else to the socket 36.

The intermediate member could comprise one of the grooves or even the two grooves, the head 33 or the socket 36, both these members being then provided with corresponding ribs.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. In apparatus for timing mechanical fuses of projectiles, means for coupling the timing mechanism of the projectile to said timing apparatus, and means for simultaneously immobilizing the projectile with respect to said apparatus, said coupling means consisting of a rotary member coaxial with the projectile, rotary cutting devices mounted in said member adapted to incise the timing member of the projectile and become integral therewith, and means for driving said rotary member through a predetermined angle.

2. In apparatus for timing mechanical fuses of projectiles, mechanism for coupling the setting device of a projectile, while the latter is held stationary, to a rotary drive shaft, said mechanism comprising a rotary member carrying members capable of incising and becoming integrally connected to the fuse-setting device, said rotary member being slidable substantially co-aXially of the fuse; a sleeve slidable upon and driven by the drive shaft, said sleeve and shaft being co-axial with the rotary member, an Oldham coupling disc connecting the sleeve and the rotary member; and a spring cooperating with similar cylindrical surfaces of the rotary -member, Oldham coupling disc and sleeve to bias these parts into co-axial alignment.

3. A machine for timing mechanical fuses of projectiles, comprising a projectile holder; an eccentric in said holder capable of clamping engagement with the flank of the projectile at any point around a circumference of said flank; a

coupling member slidable relatively to the projectile and having means for incising and becoming integrally connected to the fuse-timing device of the projectile in any position of rotation of the latter about its longitudinal axis; means for simultaneously rotating the eccentric to clamp the projectile in the holder and for sliding the coupling member into engagement with the tim ing device, and means for rotating the coupling member.

4. A machine according to claim 3, in which the incising means consists of a plurality of knife edge wheels supported in the coupling member on transverse axes and adapted to cut into and to grip the timing device of the fuse.

5. A machine for timing mechanical fuses of projectiles, comprising a projectile holder; means for clamping the projectile in the holder in any position of rotation about the common axes of the projectile and holder; a rotary shaft for imparting setting movements to the timing device of the fuse; a coupling member slidable relatively to the projectile and having means for incising and becoming integrally connected to the timing device of the fuse in any position of rotation of the latter about its longitudinal axes; and means for simultaneously operating the clamping means and for sliding the coupling member in engagement with the timing device.

6. A machine for timing mechanical fuses of projectiles, comprising a projectile holder; means for clamping the projectile in the holder in any position of rotation about the common axes of the projectile and holder; a rotary shaft for imparting setting movements to the timing device of the fuse; a coupling member slidable relatively to the projectile and having means for incising and becoming integrally connected to the timing device of the fuse in any. position of rotation of the latter about its longitudinal axes; means for simultaneously operating the clamping means and for sliding the coupling member in engagement with the timing device; and an Oldham coupling between the rotary shaft and the coupling member, said Oldham coupling having resilient means to hold these parts in co-axial alignment.

ANDRE VARAUD. 

